My name is Tom Bohn, and I’m excited to share that I’ve stepped into the role of Inman’s chief executive officer.
I’ve spent 25 years in B2B media, events and membership organizations. I’ve led companies through periods of real transformation. Turning single-event businesses into year-round platforms. Diversifying revenue. Building the kinds of products and experiences that professionals actually need to do their jobs better.
Now I’m here at Inman. And I’m thrilled to share what that means.
Inman has always been the heartbeat of residential real estate news and intelligence. Brad Inman built something rare: a brand that an entire industry trusts, debates with, learns from and shows up for year after year.
That doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens because the founder had conviction about the role journalism and community play in making an industry better. I have enormous respect for what Brad built, and I don’t take lightly the responsibility of carrying it forward.
Now, carrying it forward means building on it, not just preserving it. That foundation is extraordinary. And it’s exactly why the best days for Inman are ahead.
The opportunity in front of us
Residential real estate is going through one of the most dynamic periods in its history. Commission structures are evolving. Technology is reshaping how agents serve clients. Markets are recalibrating. And through all of it, the professionals who power this industry — the agents, brokers, team leaders and executives — are proving once again that they are among the most resilient, entrepreneurial and sophisticated business people anywhere.
You deserve a media partner that matches that energy.
That’s the Inman I’m building. One that doesn’t just report on the industry, but works alongside it. One that listens to the people actually doing the work, the people closing deals, growing brokerages, navigating regulatory change and investing in new models. And one that then builds exactly what those professionals need.
We have 24 years of editorial experience and proprietary data. We have the industry’s premier events in New York and San Diego. We have Inman Select, which thousands of you rely on daily. And we have something that can’t be replicated: the trust of this community.
Now it’s time to do even more with all of it.
Introducing the Inman Industry Advisory Board
Great companies listen to their customers. The best ones build structures to make sure that listening never stops.
Today, I’m announcing the formation of the Inman Industry Advisory Board, a hand-selected group of senior leaders from across the residential real estate ecosystem who will serve as a strategic brain trust for Inman.
This board will meet quarterly with me and my leadership team, providing direct input on the products we build, the stories we tell, the research we publish and the events we create.
This isn’t a vanity board. It’s a working group of people who know this industry cold and aren’t afraid to tell us what we’re getting right and where we need to be better.
Michael Valdes: Our first advisory board member
I’m proud to announce that Michael Valdes is the first member of the Inman Industry Advisory Board.
If you know Michael, his inclusion here needs no explanation. If you don’t, here’s why he matters.
Michael brings more than two decades of experience across every corner of residential real estate. He spent 15 years at Anywhere, then known as Realogy, where he served as a brand leader for Sotheby’s International Realty.
He’s currently a senior leader at LPT Realty, one of the most compelling growth stories in the brokerage world. LPT scaled from zero to more than 20,000 agents in just four years, entirely self-funded.
And this week, Michael was named Chair of the Corporate Board of Governors for the National Association of Real Estate Professionals (NARP), adding to more than a decade of board service with that organization.
Michael is also no stranger to this community. He’s been a contributing writer to Inman, and is a regular speaker at our conferences and luxury events. He understands the industry at a strategic level and communicates with a clarity that makes everyone around him sharper.
When I asked Michael to be our first advisory board member, his answer was immediate: Yes. That tells you everything you need to know about the caliber of people we’re bringing into this conversation.
What comes next
Over the coming months, you’ll see additional advisory board members announced. You’ll also see a broader transformation taking shape at Inman. New products. New research capabilities. Deeper engagement with the leaders and companies shaping this industry. And a recommitment to the editorial excellence that built this brand.
I’ll be at Inman Connect San Diego this July 28-30, and I intend for that event to be the moment where the industry sees and feels the full scope of what we’re building. Call it Inman 2.0 if you want. I just call it what Inman should be: the indispensable platform for the smartest professionals in real estate.
The best days for this industry are ahead. And the best days for Inman are ahead, too.
I’m looking forward to building this with you.
